CoreLife Eatery is a franchise that prioritizes real food and plant-based ingredients. With their plethora of grains, greens, veggies, herbs and dressings, CoreLife makes wholesome, filling and delicious bowls that will give you steady energy. It’s a great lunch spot!

Not everything on the CoreLife Eatery menu is vegan/vegetarian, but the restaurant does a great job with labeling menu items with a green V. The employees are knowledgeable about what is vegan or not if you just ask. You can also find a nutrition guide and allergen information on the CoreLife website.

CoreLife doesn’t seem to be hiding any icky ingredients and they are proud to talk about what they serve. As a conscious eater, I appreciate this transparency and also not being looked at by the staff like I’m crazy when I order a bowl with (gasp!) no meat or dairy. After growing up in the Cincinnati, OH area, I am used to being gawked at as a plant-based eater, so it’s nice when restaurants actually understand me and my dietary needs.

I like that the restaurant interior features a quote from Michael Pollan, activist and author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” which is the follow-up to “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Pollan is well-known for his harsh criticism of U.S. food policies and for his rule to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

My favorite CoreLife meal is a half-quinoa, half-greens bowl with the carrot chili vinaigrette dressing and whatever veggie toppings I’m in the mood for that day. I like their hummus, pickled red onions, raw beets, chickpeas, edamame, ginger, kimchi, sesame sriracha sprouts and fresh herbs like basil and parsley.

CoreLife offers other vegan options for your salad such as roasted organic tofu, falafel, broccoli, mushrooms, Korean BBQ sauce, chimichurri sauce, avocado, black beans, blueberries, rice, green peas and more, making it easy to customize and order a different meal with each visit.

Save $5 on your first order by downloading their app and making your payment through the app. It’s super easy to scan your app at the register once you input your card information. You get reward points for each visit, so if you are paying with a card anyway, it’s totally worth it to link the card to the app and start paying with your phone. https://www.thelevelup.com/c/0VUQMLF1XB